Rack



1966 w. MARCUS 3,269,550

RACK

Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AFV/ A INVENTOR.

WILLIAM MARCUS w. MARCUS 3,269,550

RACK

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 30, 1966 Filed June 4, 1965 United States Patent 3,269,550 RACK William Marcus, 2528 Mayfield Road, Cleveland 6, Ohio Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,422 17 Claims. (Cl. 21187) This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 381,400, filed July 9, 1964, and entitled, Containers, now Patent No. 3,187,924.

This invention relates generally to a rack or bracket, and more specifically to a combination tool holding rack and receptacle, which can be supported on an apertured board.

The rack provided by this invention has many useful applications. It may be conveniently used in workshops and homes for suspending tools on apertured boards mounted on a wall, while at the same time providing a receptacle for nuts, bolts, screws, and many other items which do not lend themselves to individual suspension and which, in the past, have merely collected on shelves or in bottles, cans, or the like. When used in this manner, the combination rack and receptacle not only provides a useful supporting means for such items, but also provides .a convenient juxtaposition of tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers and wrenches, with the nuts, bolts and screws that require such tools.

In the past, it has been the practice to suspend tools from apertured boards with separate attachment fixtures in the form of wire holders. Metal hangers or brackets, sometimes with a shelf element, have been needed to support jars or other containers used for housing small, loose, items. The usual construction of conventional attachment fixtures has included a straight downwardly projecting leg en-gageable against the front of the apertured board, an oifset portion that is normal to the leg and adapted to extend through a hole in the board, and a terminal end that is bent at 90 degrees to the offset portion so as to form a hook that is engageable against the back of the board to complete the locking of the fixture.

Attachment fixtures of the conventional wire construction do not present a particularly finished or pleasing appearance, particularly if they are used for display purposes. Moreover, they are not very suitable for mounting an open tray for holding loose articles. To engage such a fixture, it is necessary to place the leg portion in substantially a horizontal position so that the terminal end can be inserted through an aperture of the mounting board. The fixture must then be rotated 90 degrees to hook the terminal end against the back of the board. Similarly, a 90 degree rotation of the fixture is necessary to disengage it from the board. Thus, if such an attachment fixture is used to support an open container, the container would have to be empty or nearly empty when either being attached to or removed from the apertured board. Otherwise, the required rotation would result in spilling of the articles.

The use of separate attachment fixtures for a. container adapted to be filled with articles also has the disadvantage of not providing a stable support. When the container is supported by separate hangers, the weight of the articles in the container may cause it to tilt or rotate or may cause the hangers to pull out of the apertured board.

With the preferred embodiment of this invention, there is provided a simple, inexpensive and attractive rack for holding tools, such as screwdrivers, chisels, pliers, wrenches, etc., combined with an integral container for loose hardware items. The rack and container is adapted to be mounted on an apertured board in an improved manner and to be used to support individual tools as well "ice as to bin articles that do not lend themselves to individual suspension. Suitable apertured boards include those sold commercially by Masonite Corporation under the trademark Peg-Board.

More particularly, this invention, in its preferred embodiment, contemplates a one-piece construction, including an upstanding back wall, a support surface extending forwardly and outwardly from the back wall, and integrally for-med, spaced, projections extending reanwardly from the back wall for insertion into spaced apertures of an apertured board. Spaced pads are preferably formed on the rear surface of the back wall so as to engage the apertured board when the projections are inserted through the apertures. The pads provide a firm support and, with the projections, maintain the loaded rack in .a stable position on the apertured board. Side walls and reinforcing flanges, such as webs and gussets, are integrally formed with and join the back wall and the outwardly extending surface to provide a strong construction capable of supporting relatively heavy loads. The outwardly extending support surface includes spaced apertures adapted to receive the shanks of tools, and a recessed tray adapted to hold small, loose, pieces of hardware. This surface is preferably stepped so as to provide two horizontal surface levels. Apertures are provided in one of the steps and the tray is provided in another step. Preferably, apertures may also be included in the step containing the tray. The tray is preferably located in the lower step adj acent the outermost edge of the extending support surface to provide convenient access to the tray. In addition, this positions the tray at the lowest level, for easy viewing of the contents.

An important feature of this invention is that the combination rack and container can be readily attached or removed from an apertured board without spilling loose articles that are in the open container or tray. In the preferred construction, the spaced projections comprise a plurality of hook members and cooperating studs. Each of the hook members includes a body portion extending essentially at a right angle from the back wall, and a terminal end portion that extends at an oblique angle from the main body portion. This construction reduces the degree to which the rack must be tilted when it is attached to or removed from the apertured board. Consequently, any tendency for the items contained within the recessed tray of the rack to spill is diminished. The studs coop erate with the hook members to firmly lock the container in its mounted position.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a construction and arrangement that can be inexpensively molded from plastic, while obtaining the advantages described above. Specifically, the preferred construction can be inexpensively molded using a simple two-part mold, thereby avoiding the necessity of complex cam-actuated molding equipment.

Other features and advantages and a more complete understanding of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a preferred embodiment of this invention, mounted on an apertured board;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the combination rack and container as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the rack; and

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view of the rack, taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, and shown mounted on an apertured board.

Referring now to the drawings, the combination rack and tray is designated generally by the numeral 10. It is comprised essentially of a rectangular back wall 12; a stepped support surface 14 extending forwardly and outwardly from the back wall 12; laterally spaced side Walls 16, 17, depending from the support surface; a front wall 20 depending from the support surface and connected with the side walls; and a pair of reinforcing gussets 22, 23 formed along the side edges of the back wall 12 and connected with the side walls 16, 17. As best shown in FIG- URES '2 and 4, two reinforcing webs 215', 26 extend at spaced locations from the back wall '12 to the front wall 20, beneath the stepped support surface '14. The webs are perpendicular to both the back wall and the support surface.

The stepped support surface 14 extends across the width of back wall 12, generally parallel to the upper and lower edges thereof, and somewhat above the center of the wall. The side walls 16, 17 conform along their upper edges to the stepped configuration of the support surface 14, and extend downwardly to the bottom of the front wall 20, where each terminates along a straight edge that extends horizontally from the front wall 20 to the back wall '12. The gussets 22, 23 are coextensive with the back wall 12 .along the vertical edges thereof, and extend at right angles therefrom along the side walls 16, 17.

The stepped configuration of the support surface 14 is formed by three contiguous portions 30, 31, 3-2. The first surface portion 30 extends at right angles, horizontally in the orientation of FIGURE 1, from the back wall 12. Surface portion 31 depends at a 90 degree angle from portion 30 and terminates at horizontal surface portion 32, which extends parallel to portion 30, but at a lower level. The upper surface portion 30 includes a plurality of aligned apertures '36 extending across the width thereof. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, six oval apertures 36 are shown. Each aperture 3 6 is elongated in a direction across the width of the surface 30, and is formed with an encircling wall or flange 3-7 that depends from the surface portion 30 of support surface 14. The adjacent walls 37 surrounding the apertures 36 are connected to each other by a depending bead or small web 38 on the lower side of the surface portion 30. The depending walls 37 and the connecting beads 38 stiffen the surface portion 30, enabling the rack to support a substantial weight without undesirable deformation.

An additional row of aligned apertures 42 extends across the width of surface portion 32 adjacent the vertical surface 3-1. -In the preferred embodiment shown, twelve oval apertures are provided, each oriented with the major axis of the oval at right angles to the direction of alignment of the apertures. In all other respects, these apertures are constructed in the same manner as the apertures 36. That is, each aperture 42 is surrounded by a depending wall 43 beneath the surface 32, and each surrounding wall is connected to the next adjacent wall by a head or web 44.

In addition to the apertures 42 in the surface portion 32, an enlarged aperture 48 is formed in the surface. The aperture 48 is defined in part by the depending front wall 20. A continuous wall 50 depends from the surface 32 about the remainder of the periphery of the aperture and connects with the front wall. A bottom wall 52 located below the surface 32 connects the lower edge of wall 50 with the front wall 20 slightly above the bottom of wall 20. Together, the walls 20, 50 and 52 form a recessed tray or container.

A first plurality of projections 56 extend rearwardly from the back wall 12 for insertion into spaced apertures of an apertured board 58, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. In the illustrated embodiment, four such projections 56 are provided, each being located along the upper edge of the back wall. One is located at each end of the back wall, adjacent a gusset 22, 23, and the other two are located at equally spaced intervals across the wall 12. The spacing of the projections 56 is, of course, compatible with the standard spacing of apertures in commercially available apertured boards. Each projection 56 is a hook member, including a body portion 60 and an offset, rearwardly and upwardly angled, terminal, end-portion 62. In the embodiment shown, the body portion 60 extends generally at right angles from the back wall 12, and the terminal end-portion 62 extends at an oblique angle therefrom, preferably at an angle of about degrees.

A second plurality of projections 66 also extends rearwardly from the back wall 12 for insertion into the apertured board. Each projection 66 is in the general form of a stud and is located below the projections 56, adjacent the lower edge of the back wall 12. The studs 66 are positioned below the projections 56 a distance compatible with the spacing of apertures in commercially available apertured boards. The studs 66 are laterally spaced from the projections 56 so as to lie between adjacent projections. Two such studs 66 are shown in the embodiment depicted in the drawings and are located near the vertical sides of the back wall 12 to afford maximum stability of the rack. With this construction, the studs 66 assist in supporting the weight of the rack, supported tools, and contents of the tray. The location of the hook members 56 along the upper edge and upper corners of the back wall 12, and the location of the studs 66 between and below the hook members provide optimum support for the rack and prevent it from tilting or rotating due to the weigh-t of any articles held in the rack.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 3, three pairs of vertically elongated pads 70, 71, 72 are preferably formed on the back wall '12. In addition, a rearwardly extending rim 74 is provided along the upper edge of the wall 12. The pads 70 extend from the upper edge of the back wall 12, where they are flush with the rim 74, to the lower edge of the back wall along the side edges of the back wall, beneath the two outermost hook members 56. The pads 71 are located inwardly from the pads 70 and extend from the rim 74 to near the lower edge of the back Wall 12. Each of the studs 66 extends outwardly from the lower end of a different one of the pads 71. The pads 72 extend from the rim 74 directly beneath the two central hook members 56 and terminate at a level just below the juncture of the stepped support surface 14 with the back wall 12. The flat rear surfaces of the pads 70, 71, 72 lie in a common plane so as to bear against the apertured board 58 (see FIGURE 4) when the projections 56 and 66 are inserted in apertures of the board.

With the construction of the rack as described above, the projections or hook members 56 allow the rack to be mounted upon or removed from an apertured board 58 with a reduced amount of tilting so that tools and loose items supported by the rack will not fall out during removal or attachment of the rack to the board. The stepped support surface 14 provides convenient access to two different rows of tools that may be supported in the different rows of apertures 36 and 42. Moreover, the lower level in which the recessed tray is located places the small, loose, hardware items at the most accessible location.

Notwithstanding the cantilevered arrangement of the stepped support surface 14, a structurally strong and rigid construction is provided by the integral side walls 16 and 17, the reinforcing webs 25 and 26, and the gussets 22 and 23, all of which resist any bending movement and distribute the weight of the rack and supported items over a large area of the back wall 12. Also, the spaced pads 70, 71, 72, which bear against the front surface of the apertured board, prevent the container from rocking and tilting. They also resist any tendency of the upper projections 56 from pulling out of the board apertures due to the weight of the articles supported on the rack.

As generally described above, one important feature of theinvention is that the combination rack and tray 10 can be inexpensively molded of any suitable plastic using only a two-part mold; The preferred formation that provides this advantage will be most apparent fromFIGURB 3 of the drawings. The projections 66 are spaced below and between the upper projections 56. The projections 66 are formed on the pads 71, which extend upwardly between projections 56 to merge with the rim 74. This formation permits the use of a two-part mold having a parting line that extends laterally along the lower surface of the rim 74 of the back wall 12, and vertically along the sides of the pads 70, 71, 72. The mold parting line along the stepped support surface 14 requires no special design.

Many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing detailed description. For example, a stepped rack may be provided in accordance with this invention without an integral tray. Furthermore, if desired, the lower row of apertures may be omitted to provide a rack with one row of apertures and a lower, recessed tray. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A support bracket adapted to be mounted on an apertured board, comprising a back wall, a transverse surface extending outwardly and forwardly from the back wall, a plurality of apertures in said surface, a recessed tray formed in said surface and spaced from said apertures, a first plurality of spaced projections extending outwardly and rearwardly from said back wall and constructed and arranged to be inserted in spaced apertures of an apertured board, each of said first plurality of spaced projections including offset terminal end portions, and a second plurality of spaced projections extending outwardly and rearwardly from said back wall and constructed and arranged to be inserted into other spaced apertures of an apertured board, said second plurality of projections being spaced below said first plurality of projections.

2. The bracket of claim 1 wherein a portion of the transverse surface extends outwardly and forwardly at essentially a 90 degree angle from the back wall.

3. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the tray is spaced outwardly from the back wall a greater distance than the apertures in the transverse surface.

4. The bracket of claim 1 including a pad formed on the rear surface of the back wall and constructed and arranged to engage a surface of an apertured mounting board when the said spaced projections are inserted into apertures of the mounting board.

5. The bracket of claim 1 wherein projections of one of said pluralities are both laterally and vertically spaced from projections of the other of said pluralities.

6. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the offset end portion of each of the first plurality of spaced projections extends at an oblique angle with respect to the remainder of the projection.

7. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the transverse surface extends outwardly and forwardly at two different levels.

8. The bracket of claim 7 wherein apertures in the transverse surface are located in a portion of the surface that is at a different level from the portion in which the recessed tray is formed.

9. The bracket of claim 8 wherein the tray is spaced outwardly from the back wall a greater distance than any of the apertures in the transverse surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transverse surface extends outwardly and forwardly at essentially a 90 degree angle from the back wall.

11. A molded plastic rack adapted to support tools upon an apertured board, which comprises an upstanding back wall, a forwardly extending surface formed in a plurality of levels, apertures through said surface in one of said levels and a container formed in said surface at another of said levels, reinforcing members extending forwardly from said back wall, transversely of said forwardly extending surface and connected between said back wall and said forwardly extending surface, a first plurality of projections extending rearwardly and upwardly from said back wall adjacent an upper edge of the back wall, and a second plurality of projections extending rearwardly from said back wall and spaced below said first plurality and out of vertical alignment therewith.

12. The rack of claim 11 wherein the terminal end portions of the first plurality of projections are offset at board which comprises:

(a) an upstanding backwall having upper, lower and side edges;

(b) a plurality of spaced projections extending rearwardly from the back wall and constructed and arranged to support the rack upon an apertured board;

(c) a support surface (i) integral with the back wall,

(ii) extending substantially the full width of the back wall,

(iii) extending forwardly from the back wall at essentially a right angle intermediate the upper and lower edges of the back wall;

(d) two side wall members (i) integral with the back wall and support surface,

(ii) on each side of the support surface and back wall,

(iii) extending forwardly of the back wall essentially at a right angle, and

(iv) extending from the back wall above and below the support surface; and

(e) areinforcing member (i) integral with the back wall and support surface,

(ii) located below the support surface intermediate the side walls, and

(iii) extending transversely of the back Wall and support surface.

14. The rack of claim 13 wherein the support surface has two levels.

15. The rack of claim 13 wherein the plurality of spaced projections include a first plurality extending rearwardly and upwardly from the back wall adjacent the upper edge of the back wall and a second plurality extending rearwardly from the back wall and spaced below said first plurality.

16. A molded plastic rack for use with an apertured board, which comprises:

(a) an upstanding back wall having upper, lower and side edges;

(b) a plurality of spaced projections extending rearwardly from the back wall adjacent the upper edge and constructed and arranged to support the rack upon an apertured board;

(0) a generally rectangular support surface (i) integral with the back wall,

(ii) extending substantially the full width of the back wall,

(iii) extending forwardly from the back wall at essentially a right angle intermediate the upper and lower edges of the back wall,

(iv) having a plurality of spaced apertures through the surface,

(v) depending peripheral Walls or flanges integral with the support surface and surrounding the spaced apertures contiguous to the peripheries thereof; and

(d) two side wall members integral with the back wall and support surfaces and extending forwardly of the back wall.

17. A molded plastic rack for use with an apertured board, which comprises:

(a) a back wall having upper, lower and side edges;

(b) a plurality of spaced projections extending rearwardly from the back wall adjacent the upper edge and constructed and arranged to support the rack upon an apertured board;

7 8 (c) a generally rectangular support surface References Cited by the Examiner (i) inte ral with the back wall, (ii) extgnding substantially the full width of the UNITED STATES PATENTS back Wall, and 1,025,255 5/1912 Driver 211-69 (iii) extending forwardly from the back Wall at 5 2,487,301 11/1949 Borah 211-88 essentially a right angle intermediate the upper 57 03 1 5 Matter 3 2 20 (d) g gi g f gg back wall, 2,652,702 9/1953 Hintze 21160 0 1 2,800,380 7/1957 Baker 312-245 (Ufa C e E Wlth the back wall and pp 5111" 10 2 79 399 3 1959 k i 211 55 2,894,241 7/1959 McKee 248223 (llv)va(l)lll each side of the support surface and back 2,913,210 11/1959 Tichnor 248 223 f a d1 f th b k 1 3,171,565 3/1965 Nozette 22018 ,g; ;g y 6 ac wal 3,187,902 6/1965 Nelson 211-60 (e) a reinforcing niember 15 Marcus (i) integral with the back wall and support surface, CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

(ii) located below the support surface intermedi- CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

ate the side walls, and

(iii) extending transversely of the back wall and 20 W, D, LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

support surface. 

11. A MOLDED PLASTIC RACK ADAPTED TO SUPPORT TOOLS UPON AN APERTURED BOARD, WHICH COMPRISES AN UPSTANDING BACK WALL, A FORWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE FORMED IN A PLURALITY OF LEVELS, APERTURES THROUGH SAID SURFACE IN ONE OF SAID LEVELS AND A CONTAINER FORMED IN SAID SURFACE AT ANOTHER OF SAID LEVELS, REINFORCING MEMBERS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL, TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FORWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE AND CONNECTED BETWEN SAID BACK WALL AND SAID FORWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE, A FIRST PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL ADJACENT AN UPPER EDGE OF THE BACK WALL, AND A SECOND PLUARALITY OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL AND SPACED BELOW SAID FIRST PLURALITY AND OUT OF VERTICAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH. 